A Belfast man has appeared in court on charges linked to indecent images of children which were sent to his phone by a transexual he became obsessed with.

Thomas Hugh McGuinness (39), from Riverview Meadows, was placed on probation for three years and will be on the sex offenders' register for five years after he pleaded guilty to possessing 10 indecent images of children.

Crown prosecutor Simon Jenkins said McGuinness' offending came to light when his home was searched and officers found the indecent images of children in a KiK Messenger app on his phone.

When he was interviewed by police, McGuinness said he had become obsessed with a transexual he met via the app. He said that he and the transexual sent text messages to each other, and that he also recieved the indecent images from the transexual.

A defence barrister told Judge Gordon Kerr QC at Belfast Crown Court that McGuinness's conviction has had "catastrophic" consequences on his client.